Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday strongly condemned the central government for hosting the ongoing visit of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

In a post on ‘X’, the CM described Smotrich as a far-right extremist and a chief architect of Israel’s “brutal occupation and expansionist agenda.”

“At a time when a genocide is unfolding in Gaza, entering into agreements with representatives of the Netanyahu regime is nothing short of a betrayal of India’s historic solidarity with Palestine,” he said.

It is deplorable to maintain military, security, and economic ties with Israel while the path to a just and lasting peace for Palestine remains unpursued, the Left veteran added.

Smotrich is on a three-day visit to India from September 8 to 10.

He met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday and signed a bilateral investment agreement with the aim of promoting and protecting investments in each other’s countries.